Nearly one-third of Texans who are 5 years and older speak Spanish at home, according to the 2000 census. And, for children younger than five years old, the percentage is much higher. Naturally, conversational habits used in the home, such as speaking Spanish, continue when in school. Nonetheless, some educators don’t like students speaking Spanish in the classroom for an invariable number of reasons. In fact, one middle school principal, Amy Lacey, in Hempstead, Texas, went as far as to tell students that they could not use Spanish in the classroom; which directly led to the principal being suspended with pay.
